Velous – Jack of All Trades

At 21, many of us are still finding our way, trying to determine just where we fit in the world.

For Velous however, he has his feet planted firmly and is not looking to fit in, he’s carving out his own space in the musical soundscape, one note at a time.

Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and rapper are a few of the labels associated with the newcomer and judging from his new single “Larger than Life”, they are all apt when speaking of the uniquely gifted Kingston, New York native.

Dubbed “marvelous” in the studio one night as an even younger man, he shortened the handle and worked to increase his skill set to become an even more accomplished artist. Undoubtedly influenced by his late father, who was a musician, and his mother who’s a vocalist, he readily combined their talent with inspiration from the likes of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, A Tribe Called Quest and Earth, Wind & Fire to create a unique sound that resonates in the soul. As he matured, he grew attached to the innovations of Pharrell Williams and Kanye West, which pushed his creativity beyond any boundaries he may have known.

He continues to grow, continues to learn and discover parts of himself he can insert into his art and there’s a real beauty in that. With each song and each new project, that growth is reflected musically and he utilizes each of his skills to convey his message. As a singer, he’s able to use a melody to get his point across, but strips his message down when rapping, yet provides a soundtrack that everyone can get involved with behind the boards. The creative process of music is where his heart lies; he’s a musicologist and loves creating songs from scratch and watching them grow until they’re ready for public consumption.

There’s no ceiling in his music, he’s working harder and smarter to ensure his place in contemporary music is solidified. Not bad for a kid from a small town nearly 100 miles north of New York City. His parents inspired him to dream big and the music through his headphones connected him to a world outside the city limits and fed his aspirations for greatness. He became a bit of an introvert, working on his craft and dreaming big, plotting his escape to the spotlight. He inherited more than his parents’ talent, their work ethic and perspective on success also rubbed off on their child. As a four-year-old, his dad drilled drum patterns into his repertoire for a talent show and mom often challenged her son’s vocal ability during car rides to help improve his confidence.

By the time he entered high school, that confidence had grown into a device to woo the young ladies and after graduation he made the decision to bypass college and pursue music as a career. Once he was able to work full-time on his music, the results were buzzworthy singles that caught the attention of MTV, XXL and various tastemakers who hailed his sound, with MTVU naming him their “Freshman of the Week” earlier this year. A YouTube video of him recording “Larger than Life” connected him with Swanky Music and took him from the YMCA he worked into the studio where he’s been holed up creating Velocity, his debut release.

Velocity is the result of that hard work and really showcases “the Velous sound”, which he describes as “futuristic meets retro” and bends genres to meet the needs of all listeners. With the exception of two songs, he wrote and produced every song on the project, really giving the project his identity. He’s a few weeks from its release, but his excitement is building, because he’s done nothing but make music. That was one of the last bits of music advice his father gave him before he passed last October, “don’t stress over what anyone is doing, just make music”, and that’s what he’s continued to do. He’s made music, his music and it’s leading him to all of the places he wants to go.

Stay current with Velous and the release of Velocity at www.VelousMusic.com and get involved with him via social media on Twitter (@velousmusic) and Instagram (velousmusic).

Follow Us

Who We Are

The news you want – unfiltered. The Electronic Urban Report/EUR puts the most buzz worthy African American news at your fingertips. There is no more complete source for urban news than the Electronic Urban Report.